Eye health is obviously extremely important since we need our eyes for so many things. And while many people might think that they are taking care of them, eyes are very sensitive organs and can be damaged much more easily than you might think. This is why it’s useful to know just how that damage might occur so that you can – as much as possible, at least – ensure they are as healthy as can be. Read on to find out more about what you might be doing that is damaging your eyes so that you can get out of the habit sooner rather than later.
Rubbing Your Eyes
You might not even realize you are doing it a lot of the time, but rubbing your eyes is something that can cause damage. This is because if there are foreign body particles like dust within your eye, rubbing your finger across the closed eyelid, even gently, can cause those foreign bodies to come into closer contact with the cornea and scratch it. Eye rubbing can also lead to a thinning of the cornea, which then leads to other vision problems.
Eye rubbing will become more frequent when your eyes are dry and irritated, when you’re tired, or when you’re suffering from allergies. With this in mind, try to prevent these things from happening (take breaks from screens, sleep for long enough, and take preventative measures regarding your allergies), and you will rub your eyes much less.
Being Careless With Your Contact Lenses
It’s easy to start being a little blasé when it comes to wearing contact lenses. You’ll get into a routine when wearing them, and it becomes easy to pop them in and out as you need to. However, this routine could, if you’re not careful, lead to problems. Rushing the insertion or removal of contact lenses or not taking great care when doing it can cause eye damage. More problems can occur if you don’t keep them clean, if you don’t wash your hands before touching them, and if you sleep in them for convenience.
If you’re not sure how to wear contact lenses, or you’re worried that you might be doing something wrong, or even if you simply want some additional information about the best way to take care of them and your eyes in general, make sure you speak with your optometrist. They are the best person to receive guidance and information from, and they will be able to answer any questions you may have.
Smoking
Smoking is a bad habit in general for our health, but when you think of the reasons why you should quit smoking, the health of your eyes is probably not on the list. Your lungs, your heart, your mouth and tongue, and the risk of cancer will all be thought of, but the eyes can be left out.
However, the eyes can be seriously damaged when you smoke, and your bad habit could even lead to blindness. Smoking can cause cataracts and macular degeneration, which is one of the leading causes of blindness. Plus, the smoke rising from the cigarette can cause dryness of the eye, which, as we’ve already mentioned, can lead to other eye health issues too.
